by ivis | Nov 6, 2017 | Travel
Can sometimes also be referred to as “Jacaranda City” for its thousands of jacaranda trees, what most people don’t know about the city of Pretoria is that it is actually the capital of South Africa, not Johannesburg. While Johannesburg is not one of South Africa’s three capital cities, it is the seat of the Constitutional Court and the largest city in the country which is why people often become confused.
Change is present as Pretoria gets rid of its past demons and begins to develop its own contemporary identity. The city’s name was approved to change to Tshwane in 2005, but with the matter still under review, the old seat of apartheid power is still known as Pretoria. South Africans are now living among a generation that is not afraid to express their ideas on freedom as well as discovering their identities through the country’s history.
Where to stay;
Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! by Marriott Pretoria Menlyn
Sheraton Pretoria Hotel
What to do
- Take Zulu Lessons
- Attend the Vibey Market-at-the-Sheds
- Visit the 1000 year old Wonderboom fig tree
- Visit Alfie’s for the best Italian in the City
- Picnic in front of the Union Buildings
- Dinner with a view at The Blue Crane
- Take a walk down the longest Urban Street in South Africa
- Go mountain biking in Groenkloof Park
- Go on a Game Drive at the Rietvlei Game Reserve
- Visit the Voortrekker Monument
Visitors can use Pretoria as a staging post for trips out to the breathtaking wilderness of the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, or the pretty hills of Magaliesburg and Hartbeespoort to the west.
by ivis | Oct 24, 2017 | Beauty
It has taken me a couples of years to truly understand my skin type and what’s best for it. I used to think that I had dry skin but I realised that it was the products that I used that caused my skin to become dry and that In reality I actually had normal skin. However In extremely hot weather conditions I usually end up with oily skin, so every season I have to switch up my routine to suit the weather. I also have to change my foundation but it’s hard to know which ones best for your skin type because the worst thing you could do is spend more than £25 on a foundation that is completely wrong for your skin. But that’s why I’m writing this blog post to make it easier for you!
DRY SKIN:
There are so many different issues when applying foundation to dry skin from a caked finish to flaking skin to emphasising patches of dryness and fine lines, put the wrong foundation on it, and you can end up making things look a whole lot worse – and end up feeling self-conscious while out and about as a result.
- Nars sheer glow, £33 – illuminating and dewy finish to the skin.
- Charlotte Tilbury, £29 – Vitamin C, hyaluronic filling spheres, mushroom extract; Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Foundation is packed with nothing but nourishing ingredients for the skin.
- Make up forever water blend foundation, £31 – This super-sheer foundation is 80% water, so you know it’s going to hydrate your skin like no other.
- Mac studio face and body foundation, £22 – In every make-up artists pro kit, MAC’s Face And Body formula is conditioning and the finish is sheer but buildable for more coverage.
- Chanel vitalumiere satin smoothing foundation, £38.20 – Brightening dull, dry complexions, it gives a luminous finish and contains extra moisturising properties to keep skin feeling comfortable all day long.
OILY SKIN:
The struggle is real when it comes to finding a foundation that controls excess oil and stays in place all day. To say that wearing foundation when you have an oily skin type is tough may be a massive understatement, but it’s not completely impossible. When you have oils skin it’s best to stick to matte foundations and one that are oil free.
- Giorgio Armani Power Fabric, £40 – Lasts for hours and hours, offering great SPF protection, concealing pretty much every blemish and dark circle, and it locks down any excess sebum production.
- Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay In Place Foundation, £32.50– Mattifies skin and lasts all day and into the night, without smudging or needing any touch-ups at all.
- Kat Von D ‘Lock It’ Liquid Foundation, £27– Gives the most flawless, full coverage finish.
- Diorskin Forever Foundation, £35– lightwear but buildable whilst lasting 16 hours, the best for long days!
by ivis | Oct 23, 2017 | Travel
Also known as the ‘friendly city’, Port Elizabeth (PE for short) stretches along Algoa Bay and is located in the Eastern Cape province. With its location in the Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth boasts of having 300 out of 365 days a year of sunshine – more than any other province in South Africa. So no matter what day of the year you choose to go you will not be disappointed!
Where to stay;
What to do;
- Donkin Heritage Trail – If you want to get to know Port Elizabeth on personal level, take on the five-kilometre trail that follows in the footsteps of the 1820 Settlers. It links no less than 47 national monuments and historical sites in central Port Elizabeth and is named after the acting governor of the Cape Colony at the time, Sir Rufane Donkin.
- Addo Elephant park – Escape to the bush and spend hours scouring the pristine Eastern Cape landscape for wildlife at Addo Elephant Park, home to over 550 elephant. It is the third largest national park in South Africa.
- The Valley Market – On the first Saturday of every month head to the Valley Market for spicy paella, gourmet boerie rolls, crisp pizza bases, freshly baked artisan bread and smoothies. The Valley Market is open from 8am to 2pm. Entrance is R10 per person, kids under 12 enter for free. All proceeds go back to the community.
- Nelson Mandela Stadium – Watch the Kaizer Chiefs take on Ajax Cape Town this Saturday in this 46,000 seater, five-tier stadium.
- Conquer the sand dunes – If you’re looking for a dash of adrenaline then try your hand (foot?) at sandboarding at Maitland Sand Dunes. The dunes are easily accessible and provide hours of fun.
- Tour the Volkswagen Auto Pavilion – Car lovers will be in heaven on a pre-booked tour at the Volkswagen Factory in Uitenhage. You’ll encounter the oldest kombi in South Africa – Tours cost R10 per adults, R5 for children under 16, R5 for pensioners and include a free tour of the Autopavillion, which is the only automobile discovery centre on the continent and only the fifth worldwide.
by ivis | Oct 22, 2017 | Lifestyle
I have officially just finished my first half term of 6th form and I am tired, I could honestly sleep for the rest of the year! All I can think about is getting away, I need a break from reality, I need to rest and I need to recharge and what better place to go than a spa. Nothing but relaxation!
If you are searching for the best of the very best in luxury wellness spa resorts, you have come to the right place. I have spent the last few hours lusting over these amazing resorts around the world and have decided to make it my mission to visit every single one of them within the next few years as we dive in to my top 5 most expensive and luxury wellness spa resorts around the world!
Surrounded by lush tropical jungle, Como Shambhala Estate in Bali is more than any other spa but an award winning, luxury resort. Besides spa classics such as massages, guests can also opt for a traditional cleansing ceremony, which begins with an immersion in the sacred waters at Tirta Empul temple at nearby Tampak Siring.
Luxurious treatment villas, nestled beneath thatched roofs each with spectacular ocean views, provide a perfect tranquil space for an individualised, holistic wellness journey.
With 17 luxurious treatment rooms awarding breath-taking views of the stunning natural surroundings, explore an exotic list of natural treatments with up to eleven spa treatments each day. Complete your stay with an unforgettable adventure through the African wilderness on a private-guide safari and spot zebras, rhinos, giraffe and leopards.
The spa is set in Moorish gardens heavy with orange trees, bougainvillea and gardenias which frame karp-filled ponds and sunken seating nooks.
A cosy converted farmhouse that’s about as British as you can get.
by ivis | Oct 21, 2017 | Fashion
It is the end of an era. After 76 years coach has announced that it will now be known as tapestry. This change comes following the acquisition of two very powerful brand companies over the last two years, first Stuart Weitzman in 2015 and more recently Kate Spade & Company in 2017. The company said Tapestry is the perfect name to reflect the expansion into a multi-brand firm. The company settled on Tapestry because it was easily understandable and did not sound too corporate, particularly when you compare it to LVMH, Kering, and other brands in the $80 billion global premium fashion market.
“We searched for a name to reflect these values while also expressing the cultural diversity of our people and our brands for today and tomorrow,” explained Victor Luis, chief executive. “In Tapestry, we found a name that speaks to creativity, craftsmanship, authenticity and inclusivity on a shared platform and values.”
“We believe that Tapestry can grow with our portfolio and with our current brands as they extend into new categories and markets. The name embodies our creative brand-led and consumer-focused business, while also representing the deep heritage of the group. Most importantly, we are establishing a strong and distinct corporate identity, which enables our brands to express their individual personalities and unique language to consumers.”
Luiz further explained the strength in the three brands lies in both their similarities and differences: “Each of our brands has a unique proposition, fulfilling different fashion sensibilities and emotional needs within the very attractive and growing $80 billion global market for premium handbag and accessories, footwear and outerwear. At the same time, our brands are also built upon the shared values of optimism, inclusivity and innovation.”
by ivis | Aug 29, 2017 | Fashion
I’ve been a bit MIA from award season this year on my blog and from blogging in general this summer, however I am back and I am refreshed and ready to show you guys my favourite looks from this years VMAs.
I feel as though this year we didn’t really see many trends when it came to the carpet at the VMAS, almost every celebrity was different, which is what I like to see!
by ivis | Jul 29, 2017 | Fashion, Lifestyle
Body image is something that affects everyone and I feel as though we only ever hear about the way that it affects young girls and women but what about men and young boys?
At some points in our lives we all struggle with body confidence and we are our worst critics, we see faults in ourselves that other people don’t see and it is truly damaging to our mental health. My motto has always been and will forever be ; ‘you need to learn to love yourself before you can allow yourself to love another person because at the end of the day if you can’t love yourself who will?’.
Of course as a teenager I still have a lot to learn about life but I find it saddening to see people around me tear themselves apart trying to be the ‘perfect girl’ that they see in magazines and the instagram models that we all envy to be. As much as I love this industry it does have it’s faults, one of them being that it fails to represent women of all shapes and sizes. Last year I watched one of my closest friends go through something that I would never wish upon anyone and it’s all because of this idea that society has put into our heads – if we’re not skinny we’re not beautiful.
I am very lucky in the sense that I have learned to love myself and although I have my days, I am happy with the way that I look and would not change a thing about myself. However this is not the case for many people out there, there are young girls as young as the age of 10 that are starving themselves and over exercising. We may not realise it but the images that we see online and around us are extremely damaging to our mental health. Social media has opened so many doors but social it makes it hard for people to remain true to themselves.
Talking to Yahoo Beauty, Keke Palmer said that social media and the internet in general has become so judgmental that people will either put themselves down before a troll gets the chance to comment, or they conform to what they are being told is the way they should look. And she believes the Kardashians are a big part of the problem.
I say f*** society and learn to love yourself and your insecurities because in the long run it will make your life so much happier, don’t listen to the people that try to put you down because they obviously have insecurities of their own or they’re simply jealous. Love yourself and don’t stop loving yourself!
by ivis | Jul 20, 2017 | Beauty
One of the very first ever blog posts that I wrote was on whether drug store companies in the UK are racist and I feel as though a lot has changed in the last year and a half so I thought that I would do an updated blog post and evaluate on just how much things have changed within the beauty spectrum.
If you haven’t read it check it out here – https://justivis.wordpress.com/2016/01/02/are-drug-store-companies-in-the-uk-racist/
In the past couple of months numerous beauty brands have released new formulas of foundation in a number of different shades and I have never been so happy. It now means that I can officially retract my statement on the idea the drugstore brands are racist. If you have not tried lo’real true match foundation you are missing out, it is the most amazing drugstore foundation out there and it’s only £10! Nyx and maybeline also have a great range of foundations at affordable prices. Now that there are a range of shades available for women of colour like myself, it saves me having to spend £28 or more on a foundation that will last me less than 4 months.
However, on the other hand, it is a completely different story for concealers and contour kits, as of now unless you’re purchasing the La girl pro concealer which is AMAZING by the way, concealer costs more than foundation, well for my skin tone anyway, which I believe to be incredibly ridiculous! Although a lot has changed in the last few months there is still room for improvement. In addition to this there are not a lot of contour kits in drug stores for dark skin, the only good one that is available for a reasonable price are the sleek and nyx contour kits.
by ivis | Jul 20, 2017 | Travel
In my honest opinion, I believe that life is all about experiences and experiencing as many things as we possibly can in the short amount of time that we have, so why would you skip the opportunity to take a once in a life time trip on a luxury train across one of the most beautiful countries in the world? Trade two hours on a plane for beautiful scenery and amazing food. Rovos Rail offers the ultimate in luxury train trains in South Africa.
Rovos rail offers 7 journeys and 4 special packages all to amazing destinations! My favourite has to be Dar es Salaam. This is a 15-day train journey through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania. This is truly an experience like no other! How many people can say that they have been on a luxury steam train across southern Africa? Not a lot. So if you have the money I say book it, this will not be like any other holiday I can promise you that. It’s an adventure and a chance for you to make new and lasting memories that you can one day share with your family. My love for Africa grows everyday and this will be a chance for you to experience it in all of it’s glory, go on a safari, see the mighty Zambezi and Victoria falls as well as visit a diamond mine! If you don’t wanna go then I will be more than happy for anyone to sponsor me on this magnificent journey.
General info – https://www.rovos.com/general-info
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